Doll stand



1957 s. F. SPEERS 3,345,030

DOLL STAND Filed Sept. 8, 1965 INVENTOR. SAMUEL F SPEERS QM; 746M411 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,345,030 DOLL STAND Samuel F. Speers, North Attleboro, Mass., assignor t Hassenfeld' Bros., Inc., Pawtucket, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Sept. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 485,742 4 Claims. (Cl. 248346) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A doll stand for holding a doll in an upright position and including a removable wedge that clamps the feet of the doll on the upper surface of the stand.

The present invention relates to a stand for retaining an article in a fixed position. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stand for mounting a doll thereon in a fixed or upright position.

The present invention has particular application and use with a toy article such as a doll and i adapted to retain the doll thereon in an upright position, or in the alternative may locate the doll in a fixed position in the packaging thereof for display and sale. The doll for use with the display stand embodied therein may be placed on its feet in an upright position, but since this represents somewhat of an unstable position, the display stand of the present invention is employed for locating the doll in a fixed, upright position. For this purpose, the display stand of the present invention includes a base that is defined by a platform to which the depending Walls are joined. Joined to the upper surface of the platform is a projection in which spaced openings are formed for receiving the forward portion of the feet of the doll.

Formed in the platform and spaced from the projection is a slot, into which a wedge-shaped retaining element is adapted to be inserted. The spacing of the slot with respect to the projection is such as to locate the retaining element in engaging relation with the rearward portion of the doll feet when the feet are disposed in the openings of the projection. Thus, the wedge-shaped retaining element cooperates with the projection for locking the feet therein, thereby locating the doll in an upright position on the platform. It is understood that when the doll is secured to the display stand base, the doll may be mounted in a display box in a fixed position for the display and/or packaging thereof.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stand for locating an article in a fixed position thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stand for a doll in which the feet of the doll are locked on the stand for locating the doll in either an upright position or in a fixed position in a package or the like.

Still another object is to provide a stand for a doll having a projection in which openings are formed for receiving the feet of the doll, the stand further including a retaining element that extends through a slot in the stand base and that engages the rearward portion of the doll feet for locking the feet in the projection.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the display stand embodied herein showing the location of a doll thereon.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the doll stand embodiment in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wedge-shaped retaining element that is received in the platform of the stand.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 1 the doll stand embodied in the present invention is illustrated and is generally indicated at 10. The stand 10 is adapted for particular use as means for retaining a doll in position, one form of such a doll being generally indicated at 12 in FIG. 1. It is understood, of course, that various types of dollars or other articles may be utilized with the display stand without departing from the spirit of the present invention. As is conventional in doll constructions, the doll 12 includes ahead 14, a body 16, arms 18 and legs 20. Joined to the legs 20 are feet each of which includes a toe portion 22 and a heel portions 24.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the display stand 10 is illustrated in detail and as shown includes a base that is defined by a horizontal platform 26 to which side walls 28, front wall 30, and rear wall 32 are joined in inclined relation. The latform 26 and the inclined walls joined thereto are preferably molded as an integral unit of a plastic material, although it is understood that the base which includes the platform 26 and the integral walls may be formed of other materials such as wood, plastic and/ or cardboard.

Joined to the upper surface of the platform 26 is an upstanding projection 34 in which spaced openings 36 are formed. The openings 36 are semicylindrical in configuration and are adapted to accommodate the toe portions 22 of the dolls feet. Spaced from the projection 34 and extending through the platform 26 and a thickened portion 38 joined to the underside of the plat-form 26 is a slot 40. As seen in FIG. 3 the space on the platform 26 between the forward edge of the slot 40 and the projection 34 is dimensioned so as to accommodate the rear portions of the doll feet, wherein the heel portions 24 are located adjacent to the slot 40 when the doll 12 is mounted in position on the platform 26.

In order to lock doll 12 on the doll stand 10, a retaining element generally indicated at 42 is provided. As shown in FIG. 4, the retaining element includes a tapered or wedgeshaped body portion 44 to the upper end of which a flange 46 is joined, the flange 46 defining a finger grip for 10- cating the retaining element 42 in the slot 40 formed in the platform 26. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, when the doll 12 is mounted on the platform 26 with the toe portions 22 extending through the openings 36 of the projection 34, the heel portions 24 are located adjacent to the slot 40. The retaining element 42 is then placed within the slot 40 and moved downwardly therein, the configuration 0f the tapered body portion 44 causing the retaining element 42 to be wedged into locking relation in the platform 26. Since the exposed front wall portion of the retaining element that projects upwardly above the platform 26 engages the rear edge of the heel portions 24 of the dolls feet, the feet are effectively locked into the openings 36 of the projection 34, and the doll 12 is thus secured in place on the stand 10.

If it is desired to remove the doll 12 from the display stand '10, the wedge-shaped retaining element 42 is urged upwardly by either pulling on the flange 46 or by pressing on the lower end of the body portion 44 that projects below the thickened portion 38 of the platform 26. Once the retaining element 42 has been removed from the slot 40, the feet of the doll may be retracted from the openings 36 for releasing the doll from the stand.

As shown and described, the display stand 10 is adapted to fix the doll 12 thereon in mounted position for locating the doll 12 in a vertical position for the display thereof.

to However, it is understood that the stand 10 may be employed as a means for positively locating the doll in a package for the display thereof and/or during shipment thereof.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a stand for a doll which includes feet having toe and heel portions, a base having a platform formed thereon, an upstanding projection joined to said platform and extending transversely thereof, said projection having at least one opening formed therein that extends above the surface of said platform to which said projection is joined, said opening receiving the toe portions of the feet of said doll therein when said doll is mounted on said stand, a slot extending transversely of said platform and spaced rearwardly with respect to said projection wherein an uninterrupted space is formed on said platform between said projection and slot for receiving the feet of said doll thereon, the heel portions of said feet being located adjacent to said slot but occupying the space between said projection and slot, and a retaining element slidably and removably received in said slot so as to be substantially vertically mounted therein, a surface of said retaining element being engageable with the heel portions of said feet for locking said feet in the openings formed in said projection, thereby mounting said doll in vertical position on said platform, the width of said slot extending for a major portion of the width defined by the opening in said projection, wherein the retaining element that occupies said slot is engageable with substantially the entire rear area of the heel portions of said feet that are located adjacent to said slot.

2. In a stand for a doll as set forth in claim 1, said retaining element having a wedge-shaped configuration that provides for a positive friction fit of said element when it is inserted in said slot.

3. In a stand as set forth in claim 2, said wedge-shaped retaining element having a flange portion formed on the upper end thereof that defines a finger grip for inserting said retaining element in or extracting it from said slot.

4. In a stand as set forth in claim 3, said platform having a depending flange surrounding said slot, thus providing a greater extent of bearing surface for frictionally receiving said retaining element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,919,562 7/1933 Kranzfelder 2068 2,312,985 3/1943 Bales 248223 2,454,095. 11/1948 Sandlovich 248346 2,622,835 12/1952 IppOlitO 248-346 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A STAND FOR A DOLL WHICH INCLUDES FEET HAVING TOE AND HEEL PORTIONS, A BASE HAVING A PLATFORM FORMED THEREON, AN UPSTANDING PROJECTION JOINED TO SAID PLATFORM AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF, SAID PORJECTION HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING FROMED THEREIN THAT EXTENDS ABOVE THE SURFACE OF SAID PLATFORM TO WHICH SAID PROJECTIONS IS JOINED, SAID OPENING RECEIVING THE TOE PORTIONS OF THE FEET OF SAID DOLL THEREIN WHEN SAID DOLL IN MOUNTED ON SAID STAND, A SLOT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PLATFORM AND SPACED REARWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID PROJECTION WHEREIN AN UNINTERRUPTED SPACED IS FORMED ON SAID PLATFORM BETWEEN SAID PROJECTION AND SLOT FOR RECEIVING THE FEET OF SAID DOLL THEREON, THE HEEL PORTIONS OF SAID FEET BEING LOCATED ADJACENT TO SAID SLOT BUT OCCUPYING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID PROJECTION AND SLOT, AND A RETAINIGN ELEMENT SLIDABLY AND REMOVABLY RECEIVED IN SAID SLOT SO AS TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY MOUNTED THEREIN, A SURFACE OF SADI RETAINING ELEMENT BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH THE HEEL PORTIONS OF SAID FEET FOR LOCKING SAID FEET IN THE OPENINGS FORMED IN SAID PROJECTION, THEREBY MOUNTING SAID DOLL IN VERTICAL POSITION ON SAID PLATFORM THE WIDTH OF SAID SLOT EXTENDING FOR A MAJOR PORTION OF THE WIDTH DEFINED BY THE OPENING IN SAID PROJECTION, WHEREIN THE RETAINING ELEMENT THAT OCCUPIES SAID SLOT IS ENGAGEABLE WITH SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE REAR AREA OF THE HEEL PORTIONS OF SAID FEET THAT ARE LOCATED ADJACENT TO SAID SLOT. 